


the GOLD we made along the way

by postmoderne



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Idiots in Love, M/M, Pining, Pining Roronoa Zoro, Romantic Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 08:01:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25620055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/postmoderne/pseuds/postmoderne
Summary: The Strawhats are students, live in a dorm and Zoro likes Sanji, he really does. Oh, woe is him.*“These are the recipes for my French Cooking course. They’ll have to be ready by tomorrow. Thought out and perfected.”“They’re perfect.”, Zoro says breathily and leans in, pressing his lips onto Sanji’s collarbone.“Z-Zoro, don’t…”, Sanji shudders and grasps Zoro’s hands that are about to unbutton his white dress shirt. “I know you… but I…”.Zoro recoils and tries to hide his embarrassed blush by looking down. “I know, I just— Ace said… that you…”“Ace says a lot of things.”, Sanji pushes his chair away, “Sorry, Zoro”, he collects his recipes and takes off.
Relationships: Roronoa Zoro/Original Character(s), Roronoa Zoro/Vinsmoke Sanji, Vinsmoke Sanji/Original Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 104





	the GOLD we made along the way

*

It’s a fine autumn evening, sometime around eight or nine pm Sanji comes home to the student dorm he’s currently living in. The dorm (Grand Open Line Dormitories, or short, GOLD) is a shabby old high-rise building and was probably new in the 60s. Sanji shares his floor, the 7th floor, with perhaps 10 other people, he doesn’t really know. Some don’t leave their rooms, ever, some aren’t ever home. He also does not only have to share the floor with 10 (or less) (or more) people but also the bathrooms and the kitchen. It certainly isn’t the best possible living situation he could wish for, having to share everything with broke 20-something year old students but it’s not like he has much choice, being a broke college student himself.

He sighs as he enters the ground floor with its musty dark grey carpet and sparse yet ratty furniture. A couple of sofas adorn the room, IKEA-quality.

The elevator doesn’t work. A crinkly sheet of paper with “Repairman Is Informed” written on it in sharpie is taped to the elevator doors. That’ll do, Sanji muses and sullenly trots up the staircase instead. There’s nothing better after a hard day of classes and his poorly paid student job at the local burger joint than walking up one million stairs.

*

“How was work?”, someone grunts from where they’re sitting on the ground in the hallway, as soon as Sanji pushes open the door to the 7th floor.

“Good evening to you, too, moss head.”, Sanji greets the guy while closing the door behind him. “Couldn’t find your room again?”  
The moss head, Zoro, doesn’t deem this question worthy of an answer, he simply huffs and gets up, walking over to Sanji, his eyes focused on the bag the man is holding in his hand.  
“Leftovers?”, he asks, trying to reach for the bag. Sanji swats his grubby fingers away.   
“Fuck off. Get the others, idiot, food’s ready in half an hour. You think you can manage?”  
Zoro nods and quietly walks off. (Annoying asshole).

Sanji sighs and pads over to the communal kitchen, a tiny little thing for the amount of people they are, but he makes do. He’s a great cook; he could cook anywhere; he only needs to finish his degree so that he can actually become a chef (at the Baratie. Zeff had promised him that). Sanji puts the leftovers onto the kitchen table and gets to work: warming them up, cooking rice, miso soup and preparing yoghurt and fruit as dessert. It’s been a silent agreement of the entire floor that the kitchen is Sanji’s territory and that there would be no messes or sneaking food that doesn’t belong to the sneaker themself – otherwise there would be harsh punishments. And there have been punishments in the past.

“Sanji!”, Luffy pops into the kitchen with a bang, “Zoro said you’re cooking! Please say it’s meat!”, the guy shouts and is met with a kick to the head.   
“Stay away from the food, it’s not ready yet, you hopeless glutton!”, Sanji hisses and throws Luffy out of the kitchen. “Half an hour.”

*

Dinner is a tumultuous affair, as always. Nami and Robin praise what Sanji made with the leftover burger patties, the rest of his floormates are pigs and would eat anything, anyway, so Sanji had given up on valuing any of their compliments a long time ago. He believes them when they say his food is good but he’s also seen Luffy eat fries that had been on the floor for way longer than 5 seconds.

Ace burps loudly and Luffy and Usopp cackle hysterically. Zoro asks if there’s any more beer, which Sanji denies. Robin talks about her newest archeology class and Nami moans about the prissiness of her fellow economics students.

“Maybe I should’ve gone into the arts!”, Nami sighs dramatically and they all have to laugh at that. Nami pouts. “You don’t know, maybe I would’ve succeeded as a painter.”

It’s homey, it’s easy, it’s fun and Sanji wouldn’t trade it for anything. He loves when they come together in the evenings to eat and laugh and everyone tells what they did that day and it almost feels like family. To Sanji it does, anyway.

*

Sanji’s glad when the dinner is over and the dishes are done, though. It’s been a long day and he’s not even finished yet.

*

“Can’t sleep?”, Zoro asks.   
Sanji jumps a little, looking up from the pieces of paper on the wooden kitchen table he’s sitting at and turns around to see Zoro standing at the kitchen entry. He taps the ashes off his cigarette and clears his throat. “Moss head… can’t you…”, Sanji waves his hand. He’s tired. He has work to do. He doesn’t have time for the marimo’s late night antics. Of course, the grass brain doesn’t have the sensibility to go away and instead sits down next to the cook. Sanji looks at him from under his lashes.

“What do you want? Hungry?”

Zoro shakes his head. “Just… saw that the light in the kitchen was still on.”

“From inside your room?”

“Uh… I was on a walk. To the toilet.”, Zoro says and takes a seat on the chair next to Sanji.

Sanji hms.

They sit in silence for a while, the only noise being Sanji’s rustling papers. Then, the noise of Zoro shifting closer.

“Are these recipes?”, he asks softly, almost whispering into Sanji’s ear. Sanji looks at him out of the corners of his eyes and nods, smiling gently.

“Yes, I’m training to be a chef, remember?”

Zoro snorts. He likes when it’s just them, at night, not fighting. They’re always fighting by day, always right at each other’s throats. But at night, they’re softer and Zoro almost in love. Exhausted maybe but less on edge. At night, he dares to get closer.

Sanji extinguishes his cigarette by pressing the stub into the ash tray on the table and turns his body fully towards Zoro, facing him. “These are the recipes for my _French Cooking_ course. They’ll have to be ready by tomorrow. Thought out and perfected.”

“They’re perfect.”, Zoro says breathily and leans in, pressing his lips onto Sanji’s collarbone.

“Z-Zoro, don’t…”, Sanji shudders and grasps Zoro’s hands that are about to unbutton his white dress shirt. “I know you… but I…”.

Zoro recoils and tries to hide his embarrassed blush by looking down. “I know, I just— Ace said… that you…”

“Ace says a lot of things.”, Sanji pushes his chair away, “Sorry, Zoro”, he collects his recipes and takes off.

Zoro remains in the kitchen, confused, self-loathing. (Stupid, stupid, stupid!)

*

(He gets up after he did some good old-fashioned sulking).

*

Usopp sits in his room, fiddling with his hands, disconnected from the world. He’s doing something with tools. Zoro doesn’t actually care. He bounces his foot against the pink exercise ball Usopp’s sitting on.   
  
“You and Nami have known Sanji the longest, right?”, he asks his friend. Usopp looks up at him with question marks clear in his eyes.   
  
“Yeah, I guess. We were in Kindergarten together. The Little Pirates group. Why’re you asking?”, the curly-haired man muses and lays down the screwdriver he was holding.

“Has he ever, uh… dated a man?”

“A… a man?”, Usopp is quite obviously surprised by Zoro’s question. Usually, the man isn’t so open about his feelings. “Hm, well, yeah. He’s been with Law, I think. For a while. Usually he’s more into the… fairer sex.” Usopp eyes Zoro curiously. “But I thought you two already had something going on?”

“Yeah… or no… there’s also something with Ace, I just don’t know.”, Usopp shrugs. “He doesn’t tell me about his sex life all that much. Or his love life.”

“Ah. Feelings are difficult.”

“Yeah.”

*

Zoro meets Ace accidentally at a bus stop in the inner city. Ace is eating a burrito and Zoro doesn’t know where he is. They greet each other, even though they’re not really friends. They live on the same floor, sure, and Ace is Luffy’s brother but the dark-haired man is elusive at best. Then they stand next to each other, Ace with his burrito and Zoro with his arms crossed over his chest. Zoro has to know.

“Are you and Sanji still fucking?”

Ace chokes on some beans and rice. He coughs up a lung. “Cheese, Zoro, warn a guy.”, Ace says hoarsely after gaining some dignity and swallowing the rest of his food. “Sanji and I are not fucking… anymore. He’s been too much of a bummer lately.”

Zoro nods.

The bus arrives.

*

(Too much of a bummer? Zoro wonders. But he realizes that now – they haven’t been fighting much these past weeks.)

*

At night, again at night, always at night (after dinner), Zoro knocks on Sanji’s door. The blond opens and is wearing only pajama pants. (Oh.)

“Moss head?”

“I like you, cook.” (Straight up. Just to get it out). (Zoro is no chicken).

“Ah. Uh. Uhm, won’t you come in..?”, the cook yawns and walks back into his room, gesturing Zoro in. “Close the door behind you.”

Sanji lights a cigarette. His fire box is turned off, which Zoro doesn’t appreciate but Sanji won’t listen because the cook’s a stubborn bastard with a strong nicotine addiction.

“Why Ace and Law and why n—”

“Why not you, Zoro, huh?”, Sanji says, clearly annoyed, and sits down on his worn old bed. (The bed sheets have pandas on them). “What do you want, moss head? A quick fuck? A relationship? Do you want me to lie? What… what do you want?”

Zoro feels his eyes stinging. “Sanji, I--. I thought maybe…”

“Do you think I’m easy?”

“Easy?”

Sanji chuckles humorlessly. “Because you probably would be right. I don’t usually deny a nice face. Well, except for you, I guess. Would you be satisfied with an exclusively physical relationship, Zoro? Are you that desperate?”

Zoro grinds his teeth together. He is but he would never admit that.

“I’m… sorry.”, he says defeatedly. “I shouldn’t have forced myself onto you like that… I, I understand that you don’t. Uhm. Feel the same. I understand. Sorry.”

Sanji rubs his eyes. “No. No, it’s fine. I should also apologize. I’m sorry, Zoro, I’m tired and these past weeks have been hell and I shouldn’t let it out on you. I’m not in the right mindset to have this conversation.”, the cook rambles. “I shouldn’t invalidate your feelings and I’m sorry. I like you, too, Zoro but…”

“I understand. It’s no big deal, it’s fine.” (And it is fine. It is. But Zoro wishes it were different between them).

*

So Zoro moves on, in a way.

*

He moves on and Delaney is a nice guy and he’s good-looking and he’s blond. It’s not fair to anyone that Delaney looks like Sanji. (Not fair to himself. Not fair to Delaney).

(Not fair to--).

Nami blinks at him knowingly the first time he brings Delaney over to the GOLD. He breaks up with him soon after.

(Witch).

*

The next guy, Akira, does not look like Sanji, which is a plus. Unfortunately, this means that he isn’t really Zoro’s type. What’s even more unfortunate is the fact that Zoro’s type is only Sanji. Akira breaks up with Zoro after only two weeks in which Zoro made sure that he and Sanji never met. This, understandably, did not exactly please his (ex-)boyfriend.

*

Zoro then decides to stop dating for a bit. Doesn’t seem to do any good, anyway. Maybe he needs to focus on himself. (Self-care? Nami gave him some cream for his face). (Not that cream could actually help heal his heart).

*

The GOLD is as busy or as lazy as it always is, which Zoro appreciates. Usopp found a girlfriend, it seems. If he isn’t lying about it. (Probably is). Luffy and Ace are planning a road trip, “just the bros!”, they laugh. Robin and Nami paint each other’s nails. (Red). Sanji still cooks dinner every night. Zoro and Sanji don’t fight anymore. (Zoro misses it). (Hates that they’ve grown distant).

*

It’s late one night and the light in the kitchen is still on. Zoro tries to ignore it, he really does but. He’s a weak man. (Psychically).

And there he sits in all his glory, Sanji, with a cigarette in his mouth and a plate of cake in front of him. No recipes. Free to talk to, casually. As friends do. He steps into the kitchen and clears his throat. (Casually). The floor tiles are black and white, Zoro notices as he stares at them. (Like he’s never seen them before).

“How’s Akira?”, Sanji asks with his back to Zoro.

“Ah. Uhm.”

“Would’ve loved to meet him.”

“We’ve broken up.”, Zoro mumbles.

“So I’ve heard.”

Zoro gathers all his courage and sits down next to Sanji. (They paint a familiar picture like that, sitting next to each other, at the kitchen table. Late at night).

“How’s your cooking class… your French…”

“Finished. I passed.”

“Of course, you did, you’re the best cook.”

Sanji looks at him curiously, which makes Zoro blush.

“So, uhm. My classes are also going… okay.”, Zoro continues with small talk. (Cringe). “I’m taking over more classes at the dojo during semester break. With the kids… you know. You could come by any time, if you want a legitimate sparring match with me. Or. Or with anyone available.”, Zoro wants to bash his head in at his own words. (Cringe!).

“Sure.”, Sanji says with a smile. Zoro nods.

“You want a bit of cake?”, the blond then asks and pushes the plate over to Zoro. “It’s more tart than sweet, so I think you’ll like it.”

“Oh. Thank you.” (They’re never this polite. Zoro really did ruin everything with his stupid confession.)

Sanji smokes and Zoro eats – in silence.

*

Days go by, weeks go by and the tension between Sanji and Zoro gets better. They’re at each other’s throats again, Sanji catching Zoro’s attempts at stealing his cooking wine and kicking him for it. The others from the 7th floor also notice the change and welcome it.

The crew lounges around in the communal kitchen in the evenings. Luffy eats Nami’s dessert, much to Sanji’s dismay. Robin inquiries if Sanji wants a girlfriend, much to Sanji’s elation. Robin giggles in her very own unsettling way and softly shakes her head.

“Not me, a friend of mine. She’s asked about the cute burger cook at Shank’s Shack. I think she meant you.”, Robin says with a shrug.

“Oh. I am extremely honored by your friend’s interest in me but I must decline, which does break my heart. No lady deserves rejection and I would love to meet her and treat her to lunch – however, I am not currently open to dating, my apologies.”

Zoro rolls his eyes at Sanji’s flowery words. (That old skirt-chaser…) He is surprised to hear the blond reject a woman, though. Sanji loves women. At the same time, Zoro thinks, thank GOD.

*

Law comes to visit Sanji for a few days and he sleeps in Sanji’s room and gets to eat Sanji’s food and hangs around with Sanji and Zoro is pretty sure they even hooked up. Zoro doesn’t understand their relationship. (Doesn’t want to).

*

“Aye, Roronoa!”, Law grunts at him. Zoro grunts back. There’s just no privacy in a Starbucks. The dorm’s wifi broke down earlier that day, so now Zoro has to use public wifi to do research for his term paper. (Sucks ass).

“Sanji’s wondered why you’ve not turned up for dinner the past few days.”, Law tells him and takes a sip of his whatever drink.

“Busy.”, Zoro replies curtly.

“Ah.”, Law lets out a yawn, then looks at Zoro out of scarily focused eyes. “No need to be pissed at me. ‘m not fucking Sanji.”

Zoro types away on his laptop, nonplussed (ha!). “Right.” (Spine rigid. Butt clenched.)

“Not for lack of trying. On my part.”, Law adds, deliberately.

Zoro thinks the vein in his head is gonna pop. “Right.”

“Right. See ya.”, Law sighs, waves at Zoro half-heartedly and leaves the coffee shop.

(Fuck that guy!)

(Sanji didn’t want to, huh…)

*

That night, Law doesn’t attend dinner.

“He left this afternoon.”, Sanji explains his absence. “He’s visiting his aunt or something like that, he said.”

“No way! You’re making onigiri?”, Luffy shouts and jumps onto Sanji’s unexpecting back. “I love onigiri! Zoro’s favorite food is also one of my favorite foods!”, the kid exclaims and tries his best to hold onto Sanji while said man is trying his best to get rid of Luffy.

“I’ll kick you! Get off!”

Zoro laughs but takes mercy on the cook and grabs Luffy by the ear. “Don’t annoy the person cooking your meals.”

“Ai, ai, ai, ai, ouch, ouch, that hurts!”, Luffy whines but lets go off Sanji and Zoro manhandles him onto a chair.

“Sit.”

“Thanks, mossy.”, Sanji says quietly.

Zoro nods. (His heart feels full, for some reason.)

*

Since onigiri pair perfectly with sake, the entire 7th floor gets blackout drunk that night. Robin leaves early and Ace vanishes halfway through the first bottle but Zoro and the rest are having a grand ol’ time. Usopp spins his fantastic tales, none of them true, all of them amusing and entertaining.

“And the Pirate King found the One Piece, a treasure so big…”, Usopp hiccups. “Sooo big! Full of GOLD!”

“Grand Open Line Dormitories!”, Luffy giggles drunkenly.

“Actual gold. Bars of gold, coins… jewels. But actually. Actually, the real treasure was the adventures and friendships the pirates made along the way.”, Usopp concludes his story, a satisfied grin on his face.

“Boo!”, Nami boos. “That’s terrible! The real treasure was the actual treasure. Oh, to be rich and have money and shoes and dresses and jewelry and a castle and—“, she babbles and snickers.

“You deserve everything you wish for, Nami!”, Sanji gurgles.

“Shut up.”, Nami punches the blond’s leg from where shes sitting on the kitchen floor. The others break out in giggles.

*

As the clock strikes midnight, most of the people have cleared out of the kitchen, leaving Sanji and Zoro to do the cleaning up.

“Thanks for helping, marimo.”, Sanji says after the dishes are done. He sighs.

“Yeah. The others should’ve helped. You shouldn’t just always do everything for them.”, Zoro tells the cook while drying his hands with the kitchen towel.

“Nah, I like doing chores.”, Sanji shakes his head. Then, he looks at Zoro with a contemplative gaze. “Marimo, when you said you liked me…”

Zoro goes stock still. “Y…yes?” (Oh no.)

“Did you mean it… romantically?”

“What?”

“Oh.”, Sanji visibly deflates.

“No, I mean, yes, of course!”, Zoro yells. “Of course, romantically, I’m in love with you! Idiot!”

Sanji stares at him with wide blue eyes, not saying a word.

“We could never have sex ever and I’d still love you, cook. I just want to… I want to be your boyfriend. But I’m okay with just being a friend, I’ll get over it.”, Zoro blathers, which is very unlike him. “Ever since you kicked my head in when I moved in here, I’ve been attracted to you. Uhm.”

“Moss… Zoro. I like you.”, Sanji whispers and takes Zoro’s hands. (Sweaty). Zoro’s heart is about to combust but he tries his best to seem nonchalant.

“You do?”

“I do. I do like you.”, the blond says but something in his voice doesn’t sound right to Zoro.

“But..?”

“I’m scared that you like me more than I like you and I don’t want… I want us to be on the same level.”, Sanji admits uncharacteristically shyly.

“Then let’s go on dates. Actual dates with food and flowers and then we’ll see.”, Zoro suggests, resolutely unwilling to let this chance slip away from him. “That’s how it goes. Going on dates and getting to know each other… better.”

Sanji smiles at him and it looks so good on him, it lights up his face and Zoro wants to see his smile every day.

“I’d like that.”

(This is so awkward, so awkward).

“Me, too.”, Zoro agrees and strokes Sanji’s hands with his thumbs. (Holding his hand… Zoro has had dreams about that.)

*

Zoro walks Sanji to his dorm door, which is kind of pathetic but also kind of cute (Zoro thinks).

“Thank you.”, he says to the blond, tone earnest.

“What are you thanking me for, moss head?”

“For, uhm. Giving me a chance?”

“You’re not a charity case, Zoro.”, Sanji huffs and rolls his eyes. “See you tomorrow, Zoro.”, in a swift motion, Sanji grabs Zoro’s chin and presses a light kiss to his mouth. “Goodnight.”

Before Zoro has the capabilities to process what just happened, Sanji’s door slides open and closed and the green-haired man is the only one left standing in the hallway.

“Oh, fuck yeah.”, Zoro mutters to himself and with his chest puffed out proudly, walks right past his very own room.

(Damn it!)

*

**Author's Note:**

> What's all this, then? - you're asking yourselves. I see that, I recognize the emotion. I don't know either... it's kitschy and clichéd but I love a bit of romantic angst... love the longing... the pining. Some day I'll write something with originality but today is not that day.  
> Also, sorry for the change in pov... from Sanji's to Zoro's. When I noticed, I was too far into it and too lazy to change it. It's also a bit of chamber play realness, isn't it.   
> Hope you liked it, anyway, please leave comments, that'd be great. Thanks for reading! 
> 
> (Not beta'd).


End file.
